SC Firefighters Trained to Treat Opioid Overdoses

Firefighters are trained to fight fires, but many in Barnwell County are receiving specialized training to combat another problem.

Thirty-eight firefighters representing several of Barnwell County's 11 volunteer departments attended the Reducing Opioid Loss of Life (ROLL) for Firefighters training on Feb. 19 to learn how to administer life-saving medicine to people suffering from an opioid overdose. ROLL is a partnership between the S.C. Fire Academy and the S.C. Department of Health & Environmental Control that was created by state lawmakers under the S.C. Overdose Prevention Act. A similar program was created for law enforcement.

"We want to try to reduce the death rate from opioid overdoses," said Mark Cato, a local firefighter who led the training.

Overdosing on drugs is a real problem as it is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, claiming 70,467 lives in 2017. That's an average of one death every seven and a half minutes, according to data taught in the program.

"Barnwell County has tripled in the number of deaths in three years," said Cato.

While EMS is equipped to deal with overdoses, they often are not the first emergency responder on the scene of a medical emergency. Firefighters who are trained as first responders often get to a scene faster. That's why the ROLL program was developed and Narcan, a nasal spray that is used to combat the effects of an overdose, is being distributed to firefighters who receive the training.

"We want to get there and make a difference," said Cato. His wife Missy works in the medical field but volunteers as a first responder with the Snelling Fire Department.

The ROLL program covers the legal side of first responders administering Narcan, how to properly administer Narcan, recognizing signs of an opioid overdose, how to respond to an overdose, and how to report an overdose for data tracking purposes so the state can monitor the problem.

Local fire departments will soon be receiving Narcan. Cato plans to hold another training so more firefighters can be trained.

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